City councilors for Flagstaff, Arizona, recently expressed unanimous interest in possibly acquiring The Orpheum Theater soon.
The Arizona Daily Sun newspaper published a recent account of the meeting:
The agreement by the city council to “move forward” with conversations about the potential acquisition does not commit the city to a purchase. Members of the council were clear that additional information — including an appraisal of the building and a detailed assessment of its potential maintenance and rehabilitation needs — will be necessary, and that the ultimate decision will be made by the city’s voters.
Chris Scully, who co-owns the property with venue operator Charles Smith, said after the meeting, “The cat’s out of the bag that we’re determined to sell the building.” The pair are ready to step away “in the next few years,” Scully said.
“With that in mind,” he added, “we’re trying to make every effort to figure out a way to keep the business and the building as a community asset.”
Scully believes selling the theater to the city or a nonprofit organization would be the best way to support their original mission of sustaining a multi-use venue for live music, movies and local events.
Scully also said he feared selling the theater on the open market, thinking it might be razed or drastically redeveloped.
The Orpheum sits about a half-block from Route 66 in Flagstaff.
Built in 1911, the theater originally was called the Majestic Opera House. The venue was expanded in 1917 and renamed to its current moniker. It closed in 1999, then was reopened three years later as a concert venue.
(Image of the Orpheum Theatre in Flagstaff, Arizona, by Trevor Huxham via Flickr)